Sun Washed Out All the Rain
by The Atomic Cafe
Summary: Sequel to Storm. The morning after brings warmth.


**Sun Washed Out All the Rain**

**By Dimgwrthien**

Disclaimer: I do not own CSI: NY or affiliates.

This story takes place after "Storm", though I suppose you could read this by itself.

Through the night, the temperature managed to lower even further, throwing New York into the freezing forties. The rain froze onto the windshields of uncovered cars and the windows, and the cold air seeped in through every crack it could, covering the houses and apartments. The early risers turned up their heaters and stepped carefully on their wood and tile, trying not to burn their feet with the frost.

Stella turned and felt her head hit something warm. She smiled, glad to warm her ear and cheek, then slowly opened her eyes. Delicate patterns of ice rested on the window opposite her, though she didn't remember ever owning a window that looked quite like that.

Carefully, Stella wrapped the blanket closer to her, trying to remember where she was. Her back hurt, and she could tell that she was on the couch. When she touched the area her head rested on, she felt the light fabric of a shirt.

"Mac?" she whispered, reaching up to touch his shoulder and chest as though to make sure she was with him. He didn't wake, and she listened to the careful beat of his heart and gentle breathing for a moment. His skin was cold under her fingertips, so she moved the blanket again to cover them both. He leaned sideways over the arm of the chair. It looked uncomfortable, and Stella wanted to wake Mac to move him. She thought better of it and only moved his head to lean against her shoulder.

Mac took in a sharp intake of air, but his eyes didn't open. He shifted to lean more against her, and Stella smiled as she wrapped an arm around him. "Didn't realize I stayed here all night," she whispered, and was responded to only with his quiet breathing. Stella tried to stop herself from laughing. "Guess it was comfortable here, huh?"

She thought back to the night before to remember what happened. Rain on the windows. Ice cream. Hot chocolate. Kissing Mac.

Mac opened his eyes and yawned. "Hey, Stella," he whispered.

"Morning." Stella shook his shoulder and wrapped her free arm around him, forcing him into a hug. "Sorry I didn't -"

"I already told you to stop apologizing." Mac sat up and shivered. "Wow. Didn't think it would get this cold."

"I know." Stella pulled at the blanket, trying to collect the unused fabric to cover them again. "I bet the hot chocolate's congealed by now."

Mac leaned over to see inside one of the cups and grinned. "Close to it, anyway."

Stella tried her laugh, but her teeth suddenly chattered together. "_Jesus_," she said, still laughing. "Didn't they say it would only go down to fifty?"

"It's the rain." Mac pointed at the window, and Stella heard another round of the soft pattering of the drops on glass. "Just makes it seem colder because it's so humid."

She watched the drops melt away the ice for a moment. "Mac?"

"Hmm?"

Stella turned to him and studied his face. She never realized before that she liked how his nose ended and the strange half-smile he gave her. "Nevermind," she mumbled.

Mac nodded and looked back at the window as he sat back. "Morning, Stella."

"What?" She grinned. "Didn't we already go through that?"

"Yeah." Mac glanced back at her and smiled. "I just like saying it."

Stella laughed and kissed his cheek. "Well, I'll let you say it again tomorrow if you turn on the damn heater."

Mac looked at the ceiling thoughtfully, as though considering something. "No."

"Fine." Stella sat up and tried to find her shoes on the floor. "_I'll_ turn it on."

Mac grabbed her arm and pulled her back. "No, because we're…" He looked at the table, then on the back of the couch, then at a chair. "We're leaving." He leaned forward and grabbed their coats.

"Alright." Stella took hers and frowned. "Where?"

Mac picked up his shoes. "I owe you breakfast."

"Sure." Stella smiled as she put on her shoes. "I would have thought that _I_ owed _you_ breakfast, but this works fine for me."

Mac stood up and buttoned his coat. "I'll let you pick where, then."

(Sun Washed Out All the Rain)

Stella picked her pancakes apart, cutting them into small triangles and sliding them through a syrupy mess. She still hadn't taken more than a few bites. "Why do you _like_ storms?" she asked suddenly.

Mac put down his fork. "What?"

"You only said you hated storms when you were a kid. What's so great about them now?"

Mac picked up and twirled his fork in his pancakes, tearing them up as he did so. It looked like a drill, Stella noticed, pulling up white earth.

"Nothing," he said simply. "I just don't mind them anymore. Sometimes the rain reminds me of back then, but that's it." He shrugged. "Were you ever afraid of spiders or bugs?"

Stella shrugged. "I hate spiders."

"It's almost like that. Spiders scare you when you're a kid, but when you grow up, you realize there was never a threat."

"You haven't worked with me enough." Stella grinned at Mac's confused face. "I had to milk a poisonous spider once. Wasn't the highlight of my career."

"I could imagine that." Mac grinned. "Have you ever had to deal with snakes on the job?"

Stella shook her head, and Mac's grin widened.

"One of my first cases back in Chicago. Found a nest of snakes right next to the victim, and there were bite wounds on him. Had to milk the damn things for hours before finding out it was a stab wound that killed the victim."

Stella couldn't help but laugh. She covered her mouth to stifle the sound. "That - that must have been a pain," she said through giggles.

"It was. Almost got bitten by a few of them. Glad they weren't _too_ poisonous." He fell silent as he stared at Stella. It was one of the first times she didn't feel uncomfortable with someone staring at her without speaking, and she found herself grabbing one of his hands from across the table.

"You're too nice," she said quietly, playing with his fingers.

"I never thought someone could say that in a disappointed tone."

Stella smiled. "Well, just know that I'm glad you're too nice."

"That's better."

Stella studied the lines on his palm. "Mac?"

"Yeah?"

"Never mind."

Mac smiled. "Stella, you keep doing that. I can't read minds."

"I'm kinda glad about that," Stella said, grinning.

I'm not in love with him, she told herself over and over again. _I'm not. We can't do that right now. Not yet._

she told herself over and over again. 


End file.
